Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-24

einployeS The library was siarted ia isso. SsS
IL growth has been steady, d not rapid. For "a.
able an annual appropriation 90 $50 Tor TIE puf
chase OF new books. and these purchases are mad
oy lhe librarian with the sIProvh o. the CHIEF
library were not years of growth. and up 70 issr
the library contained only two or thrce thousand
ample cor me purPoses iasesiea and the library
would Dc In condition 10 b. OF more use 90 the
ions ger. h.,snr psper.nen, " ~ , ny ia.
small noon, which Is 50 hadl, lighted that gas II
, Use, during the entlre Day ~ Is necessary e
the books IN the room that IN IRE y scarcely space
between 10 swing the doors Tue library has never
effort viii be made 60 have n transferred L.
another part % the building
BOOKS IN TIVE r.rExr OFFICE
There are other libraries In the Interior nepart-
ment building, but none - large OF - ,mpor,ant
the Patent once library on as n ia p,nr. cop,-
monty known. the sclehunc library N contains
about a. 90 volumes. lncuding panIphlets ana ts
said 20 be the nnest library ~ tf. ANA IN lie
world IL scientnc reference library purriy,
aud aims 10 be as complete IS possible on thr liter
AZURE Of human Industry Here NAV L. found a
complete file OF all patents published IN the World
with the specifications and drawings An solen
tine encyclopedias especially those relatiug Il
the Industrial SCIENCES, may be consulted 40 THIS
library while the coIectIon 4 comp etc IN ~ -,
enuhc works and periodicals, botn hu-r1san ana
foreign. The library II Intended primarily Tor ths
use OF the examining corps of The Patent orios,
books but practcsiIy IL is tree ieraTs. 1sS Iq
used extensively by the patent attorneys and
industries The library was provided Tor In the la~
OF 1890 which Effected q great change IN the
Patent Once. and isid fo,naa,ion tor tue great
Institution asst exists to-day Its growth up % the
year is47 was slow, and tie collection then only
numbered some 1000 Volumes Tue sppropria-
Irregular and uncertain until the year ls7a when
the INST Regular appropriation was made amount
Ing 20 $1,000. In lssS this was reduced 20 f3oeo.
COQSlertA1 alnflf hall
that amount In required TO pay the subscriptions
OF the large number OF American ana Ioreign
mechanical periodicals which are regularly taken.
the bound nles being placed On the shelyes Ths
rooms devoted 20 the use of the library the
back TO the location being tnlt a large hal or pas
szge-way cuts the library into two parts In one
SET Of rooms are kept the es OF the patents and Ia
the other part are the reference books and the
read ne rooIn- Tn. librarian II Mr.. l. ID. sale aid
he has q corps OF assistants.
The library next In Importance 20 the Patent
oince library under the control OF the Interior
Department Is the one belonging 10 the Bureau OF
Education THIS Is also wo Slng reference libra
all KIN a. IL now contains nearly - coo volumes
and IN addition some 80, 600 pamphlets
Inc General Land once has legal library con-
tanning some 1000 volumes which are ussd eNclu-
siNely by the WORKING force VI the once Ia the
preparation OF cases.
rHR POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
mas no library IL has been vainly endeavoring
FOR many years TO induce Congress 70 iend It's a.
department work, but 50 far without avail There
have been recommendations by Postmaster Gene
rails from the earliest times down 20 the last an
nual report. issued few days ago; there have been
reports from committees aud inve-Ilsatlop-
10y commttees but ali With no result
The course OF time and the laws relat-
Ing 70 Government publications have however,
accomplished something IN this dire,rion'
There IL now In one II the upper rooms 81 I'M,
department building collection Ot 1ooks which
Is OF considerable value and extremely USEFUL for
reference purposes These books consisting en-
tirely OF Government publications have gradually
collected IN the Department building. In formsr
We're brought 10 the Department they wef, placed
ON shelves In the Postmaster Generals room, and
as late a. the administration OF Montgomery Blair
Ia tue opening years OF the war, Tn Department
library occupied the book shelves IN Ihe rOoms
which lac used as his ONCE. Then the collection
became too large, and a room for me books wac
provided. Since that time the library has BEEN a
wanderer through The corr1dors OF the Post-onloe
Department IL has been upstairs and dJsn-
stairs, IL mas endured the heat OF the attic stuTy
and the danpness Of the sub basement, ana u has
even ecen been boxed up and put ouI IN the court
yard. There has never been any one In lharge of
these books, and they have had the OF no one
especially. until solne year sso M. John Neiss.
slslants once, befrlended this lshmaeilte collec-
tion, and has krpt them IN order and protected
them from destruction. All the books are nov IA
very respectable quarters IN a large room In the
Third story OF the Department building aud thcy
are All arranged on shelves ANA insk. very credit
able appearances. IL might be concluded IRON the
statement that as the library consists naiuly Il
public documents that &c Is OF little value, but
such Is hot the case. IL contains In the rrsS
place, q nearly comp ete collection VI
ALL CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS,
from the FIRST Congress down 20 the present time
and when it Is considered that all the early reports
were destroyed when the capitol was burned 0y
the British In lsl4 except such copies a. had oeeu
distributed the historical value OF complete ME oi
such'documents can be appreciated Then There Is
compete ME of the debates OF the legislature OF
this country, beginning with Elll0tts debates ca
1 1he aa 10y ol The constitution, followed by
dtobe and Its successor, the Congressional Record,
The library contains Peter Forces valuable ooec-
non OF documents known as the american
Archives" and fun set OF the american state
Papers" nle Of the National IateiI.0eac.r
Iron 1919 until IL ceased publication, Is also upon
the shelves while there are variety OF boOks re-
ferring especially 70 postal alters.
contributions PROM THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
The superintendent OF the dead-letter once has
turned over 10 the library some 800 volumes which
have collected In the once a. unclaimed matter
These books are usually sold at pubic auction
but TINS year The best books Ia the collection
selected and sent up 10 the library. Inc great
dnculty with the library Ia former years has been
the want or space In the Department building for
such an institution and PosLIEaster-GenersI Villas
while urging upon the attention OF Congress the
Importance OF providing Tor the maintenance OF a
OF $500. which lac thinks Will be- SUFFICIENT pnIl the
Department building Is enlarged. There ls no
doubt that the PosJ-Ufnce Department would like
the other Departments have a library n lhs PROB
lem OF securing the needed space not continu-
ally In the way. II the building should occupy
the entire square 20 pLh street, there can he no
doubt ample provision VIII be made Tor this feature
OF an Executive Department
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LIBRARY.
The library OF the Geological Survey n not OF o
general nature, but Is valuable In serving In the
work OF the surveys II contains primarily treatl-
ses and papers on geology. including besides gen
eral geology, paleontology nthoiogy, and economic
geology. The collection OF books ~ under the
charge OF Mr.. ChaA e. Darwin, aud copIslns ~, lOI
books and 81 200 pamphlets The library war es-
70 blished In 1851 It's nucleus being small collec-
ton VI books froln the Hayden ana Powell surveys
portion OF the library OF Mr. Root. Clarke, %
which was very rch In tue officlaI ge-
ologic literature or the United states Was pur-
chased, and also Q number OF books were bought
In small lots. The library has also been enlarged
by gratuitous contributions from various sources
and receives considerable material through the
medium OF exchange. The current growth OF tue
library IL chiefly through the latter source al
though small fund Ia devoted 10 the purchase "
books
Southern Court stories.
From the New Orleans Pscsyune
remember very well the nrst case had TO defend
Ny clieLt had stuck q hog" NY father LEFT me 10
-